Image courtesy of author Carlos Lozano
Affluent housing then floated up to the
foothills of the Catalina Mountains,
offering breathtaking views, cooler
temperatures, cleaner air, but almost no
shopping.
Meanwhile, working and
middle-class
development
pushed
eastward, along the flat, wide commercial
corridors, whose food, drink, shopping,
and entertainment would define the city
in the 50’s and 60’s.
The deliberate planning and
architectural consistency of the new
developments was pleasing to some,
compared to the disorganized hodgepodge of many pre-war eclectic
neighborhoods. There was variety to
choose from, but it was subtle. Buyers
could choose from several floor plans, with
differing orientation on irregular lots, along
curving, limited-access internal streets.
Most
developments
featured
landscaping which celebrated the
Southwest, or at least the warm climate.
These ranged from virtually untouched
desert lots to crushed granite yards
showcasing exotic, tropical plants and
trees from around the world. Some
preferred to “bring Indiana with them” so
a few developments featured limited lawns
and hedges. Inside the home, more
choices were available from bathroom
style to the very latest in built-in kitchen
appliances.
Developers understood the need to
design specifically for Tucson’s climate and
landscape, and hired architects like Quincy
Jones and Cliff May to integrate the
indoors with the outdoors. ݙ\